


Mix Tape

by ExtraSteps



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Mixtape, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 00:36:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14008302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraSteps/pseuds/ExtraSteps
Summary: Theo had pack business to attend to for Scott, and was about to head off when Liam handed him a CD. Playing it would change everything between them.





	Mix Tape

You couldn't be friends with Liam without knowing how obsessed he was with music. He had three different guitars, a drum kit and some super elaborate computer for making mixes, the largest cd and vinyl collection in the galaxy, and literally never left the house without his headphones slung around his neck. Theo was so used to the ongoing hum of music coming from the boy that the world seemed almost too quiet when he wasn't around.

Liam was always in charge of the playlist, whether in the car or for a party. It was just a given. And no one ever complained.  He had an uncanny knack for reading a room and playing the perfect song.

Which was why Theo had thought nothing of it when Liam had handed him a CD for his road trip. Liam didn't know where he was going, just that it was pack business. Theo was touched that he'd come to see him off at all.

"Be safe," was Liam's parting shot, a soft smile on his lips and a look in his eyes that Theo had been unable to decipher. With a nod, he'd driven away, watching Liam in the rear vision mirror, a funny feeling in his stomach.

He put the CD down on the passenger seat and focussed on getting out of Beacon Hills. He had all of the windows down, enjoying the wind ruffling through his hair, finger tapping on the steering wheel as the radio hummed in the background.

The song finished, and a chat show started. Theo scowled and changed the channel. News. Changed it again. Classical. And again. Traffic report. With a growl of frustration, Theo picked up the case, took out the CD and placed it in the player.

He glanced at the cover before setting it down, the edge of his lips quirking up into a smile. When had Liam gotten a picture of him as a wolf?

The song started, a soft and sweet melody on guitar. It was pleasant, and Theo found himself humming along, barely paying attention to the lyrics as he watched the road pass by.

The guy had a nice voice, he noted idly as he turned onto the highway, smooth, blending in well with the guitar chords.

It wasn't until the second verse that Theo frowned, feeling it strike at something inside of him, ringing true.

 _But the blood on my hands, scares me to death. Maybe I'm waking up, today._

He paid more attention to the chorus this time. _I'll be good ._ _I'll be good._ It sounded like a plea, a promise. _I'll love the world like I should._

The third verse crushed him.

 _For all of the things that I've done all this years._ _  
_

God, it was exactly how he felt. That overwhelming guilt. That need to fix it, to be better. It was like someone had rummaged around in his head and written it all down.

It was deeply personal.

Theo's fingers shook as he pressed pause, the silence ringing in his ears, tears welling in his eyes. He pulled over, needing a moment. Cars flew past him, but he paid them no mind.

He picked up the case again, opening it, examining Liam's scribbled handwriting on the inside of the case.

"Theo. I see you. Good and bad. Message me when you finish the CD. I know the first song probably hurt. I'm sorry. Just... wait until the end. Be safe."

He choked on a laugh. Liam knew him so well.

"Ok Liam," he said to no one, gathering himself, taking a deep, shaky breath. "Let's do this."

He pressed play, and checked that the coast was clear before pulling back onto the road.

 **Jaymes Young - I'll Be Good. Paused 2:39.**

The rest of the song wasn't too bad, just sort of melancholy. It faded out and Theo bit his lip, waiting anxiously to see what was next. That song had cut him straight down to his core.

The twang of the guitar made him tilt his head. It made his heart race a bit, disjointed, not quite a tune. Another guy singing, this time about how hard it was to tell the truth. He agreed. After a lifetime of lying, telling the truth was all but impossible. _So much to say but I don't speak._

 _It hurts when you hurt somebody._ Theo gave a tight smile. It felt like an apology, Liam speaking to him through the speakers. 

A girl started singing as well, and he raised his eyebrows, impressed. She had an amazing voice. He let it wash over him, enjoying it. Again, a single lyric caught his attention. _You got me searching for reasons, to keep me from leaving._

How many times had he nearly left Beacon Hills only to turn back around? There was always a reason. He had to pick Liam up from school. Jenna had asked him to grab something from the store. His phone wasn't charged enough. He always found a convenient excuse to turn the truck around, never getting further than the town line.

He shook his head, bemused. Liam probably had no idea. It was likely just a coincidence.

The song started getting a bit repetitive after that, so he pressed skip. He glanced around, feeling a little guilty. Liam never skipped songs, looked down on anyone who did with a scoff. If he’d been in the passenger seat, he would have levelled Theo with a glare.

**Noah Kahan, Julia Michaels - Hurt Somebody. Skipped 2:13.**

The next song started with the loud riff of a guitar and the crash of drums, startling him. A man half sang-half screamed. Theo didn't quite catch what he said. Something about scars?

He frowned. Liam sometimes listened to some heavier stuff with a lot of screaming. Theo didn't really enjoy it personally. He hated that you could never really understand what they were saying. To him, it was more like noise than anything else. This song though, was pretty evenly balanced between screaming and singing. He could make out the lyrics reasonably clearly. _If this is who I am, do I know myself?_

 _Don't fall too far from who you are._ Theo had always thought that metal music was about death and other creepy shit but this was... oddly profound.

But then, he'd never really listened to this sort of thing before. His taste was nowhere near as eclectic as Liam's. If he listened to music at all, it was generally the radio while he was driving, a bit of noise in the background. This was different though. It was like... a letter.

The second verse caught him, the lines hitting him like blows. _Fighting for air, I'll fight to survive. My soul's not for sale, I won't pay the price._

"Jesus, Liam," he muttered. "Still not pulling any punches."

The screaming started up again and he pressed pause, shuddering. It was like Liam was peeling his skin back, layer by layer. First guilt, then anger. He pressed skip before he could think too hard about it.  
****

**I Prevail - Scars. Skipped 1:51.**

The next song started with cymbals and the rhythmic beat of a dream. His heart stopped racing and he took a deep breath. Yeah, this was much better. The last song had way too many beats per minute for him.

The first two lines stunned him. _Everybody's got their demons, even wide awake or dreaming._

"Fuck," he hissed, mashing the pause button. He pulled over again, this time jumping out of the car to pace alongside the road.

Tara, chasing him through the hospital, whispering his name with a malicious hiss, hand plunging inside his chest. How the fuck did Liam _know_ ? 

He pulled out his phone, bringing up Liam's number, hand hovering over the call button, equally furious and terrified.

With a huff, he locked his phone and sat on the ground, running a hand through his hair, trembling.

Liam had said to wait until the end, but god, Theo didn't know if he would survive it. How could a few songs affect him this much?

He pictured Liam putting the CD together. He'd sat on Liam's bed watching him make CD's for his other friends. It was always a meticulous process. He would have been biting his lip, carefully selecting each song, considering their meaning, trying to find the words and melodies that he wanted. Thinking back though, he didn't remember him getting quite so personal with the others.

Theo looked at his phone, bringing up Liam's contact again. This time he selected message, and typed it out, fingers tapping at the screen aggressively.

9:58am _Song Four Liam. Explain._

9:58am _You left like ten minutes ago. You've been skipping._

9:59am _Sue me._

There was no response for a minute, and Theo chewed at his lip, tapping his finger against his knee. He needed answers.

10:02am _I won't let her take you._

Theo almost threw the phone. He clenched it in his hand, sucking in air. _What the fuck?_

He stumbled to his feet in a blind panic. _What? How?_

His phone buzzed again. Theo opened the message, trembling.

10:03am _Calm down. Keep listening._

Easy for him to say. Liam wasn't the one standing at the side of the road with his heart ripped out. Theo scowled, locking his phone and shoving it in his pocket. He was going to strangle Liam when he got home.

Theo got back in the car, starting it up and pulling out onto the road. He didn't press play just yet, still trying to compose himself.

He glanced at the CD player. God, he'd only made it thirteen seconds into the song.

"Man up, Raeken," he muttered.

Pressing play, he sighed, letting the rest of the verse wash over him. The pre-chorus made him smile slightly. _Now that I'm broken. Now that you know it._ Well, it was clear now that Liam knew _exactly_ how broken he was. He didn't have any secrets from the beta wolf apparently.

The song had quite a hopeful tone to it, building him back up a bit. Sure he was broken. So what? He'd survived, hadn't he? He was still here. That was something to be proud of.

Feeling like he'd absorbed the message of the song, he skipped it. He smirked, feeling less guilty about Liam's disapproval the further away he got from Beacon Hills.

**5 Seconds of Summer - Jet Black Heart. Skipped 2:28.**

The next song seemed like a bit of a continuation. _Regrets collect like old friends._ Yeah, he had a few of those. The verse was pretty inoffensive, but the song built and built, until the female vocalist was wailing at him to shake it out. 

_And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back so shake him off._ Theo snorted, picturing Tara clawing at his back while he tried to shake her off like a wet dog trying to dry off. Trust Liam to put such a ridiculous image in his head. 

"Next," he muttered, skipping again. He wanted to get to _the point._

**Florence + the Machine - Shake it Out. Skipped 1:36.**

The next song was mellow, and Theo leaned back into his chair, sighing. This was much more his scene.

 _Like a heartbeat drives you mad in the stillness of remembering what you had, and what you lost._ The lyrics still had a bit of punch to them, but the music and the husky voice of the woman singing soothed it.

He could feel the wound in his chest closing slightly, healing, some of that raw pain scabbing over. Maybe Liam knew what he was doing after all.

It was a beautiful song, haunting but hopeful, and Theo found himself listening to the whole thing. He stopped it just before it ended, tempted to play it again.

**Fleetwood Mac - Dreams.**

The soft strumming of a guitar was the first thing he heard as he pressed play. It was quite mellow as well, the man's voice soothing, gently picking him up and taking him somewhere. For this song, there was no particular lyric, just the whole song that gathered up the tattered remnants of who he had once been and patching it together. _It comes and goes in waves._ It was true. The pain was easier to handle on some days than others. He smiled softly. More and more, he felt like Liam knew him, every part of him. Like he had said. The good and the bad. It was... humbling.  
****

**Dean Lewis - Waves.**

He went straight into the next song, not bothering to pause now. He trusted Liam. But he frowned as music blared from the speakers, the punch of a drum and... was that violins? It was haunting, eerie almost, and his heart rate picked up again.

The singer wailed, loud and hoarse. _Can you feel my heart?_ And Theo blinked, feeling confused. He had thought that Liam was taking him to a place of healing, but this song didn't quite fit that theme. Intrigued, he kept listening. It was loud and violent, rocketing around, making Theo feel itchy and restless. His fingers twitched on the steering wheel. He didn't know what it was, but this song was definitely affecting him, teasing at something inside of him.

There was a bridge and Theo felt the lyrics resonate through his chest. _I'm scared to get close and I hate being alone._

Huh. Well, that was... exactly how he felt. How did Liam _do_ that?

The song built and built, louder and louder, vibrating through him, echoing in his head, voices clear as a bell. He _felt_ it. The loneliness. Years and years of it, choking him. He pulled over for the third time, rubbing a hand across his chest, trying to ease the ache. Yeah Liam, he thought with a sigh, I can definitely feel my heart. And apparently, so can you.

**Bring Me The Horizon - Can You Feel My Heart.**

He listened to the next song as well, not trusting himself to keep driving. This was going to be the longest road trip of all time if he kept stopping, but he what did he care about some other pack and giving them a message from Scott? Liam was talking to him, and whatever it was, it seemed important.

The next song was a lot more upbeat, seemingly about not giving up. Theo considered the message, absorbing it, thoughtful as he stared down at his hands. _It just takes some time, little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. Everything, everything will be just fine._ He wasn't a little girl, obviously, but he still smiled. Liam was reaching out to him through the speakers. _Everything will be alright._

He pressed pause and sighed, resting his head against the steering wheel. Just a minute to compose himself, and then maybe he could keep going. Theo felt wrung out, the emotional rollercoaster making him feel weak and shaky. A minute, and then he would continue.

**Jimmy Eat World - The Middle. Paused 2:08.**

It was ridiculous. Liam must have been paying really close attention to him for a long time to pick up on all this. How had he not noticed?

He pulled out his phone again. There was another message from Liam.

10:20am _You going ok?_

10:26am _I think so? We r gonna have a LONG talk when I get back._

10:26am _Where r u up 2?_

10:27am _Everything will be alright._

10:27am _Ah. The Middle._

10:27am _Oh good. So I'm halfway thank god._

10:28am _Oh.. no. The song is called The Middle._

10:28am _Right... how many songs are there exactly?_

10:28am _21._

Theo stared at his phone. He was only on the ninth song. Holy shit.

10:29am _You're gonna be the fucking death of me, Dunbar._

10:29am _Lol you'll be fine. Be safe._

Theo shook his head and chucked his phone onto the passenger seat next to the CD case. He had to get going. Scott had wanted him there by lunch time, and he was already quite delayed.

He contemplated leaving the rest of the CD for the drive home, but his curiosity got the better of him. He pressed skip and moved on to the next song.

It was a female vocalist this time, and the sound of her voice made his wolf restless, ears perking up. Each vowel was elongated, like a howl, and they both couldn't help but listen. When he got to the chorus, he couldn't help but smile. Of course it was about wolves. _I've been running through the jungle, I've been running with the wolves to get to you._

The vision was clear in his mind's eye, Liam sprinting through the preserve, blue eyes serious as he searched for him. He didn't feel hunted though. Instead, he could feel Liam's determination to seek him out. For what... well, he'd have to keep listening.

 _Break down these walls, and come on in._ Theo's eyes widened. What did _that_ mean?

He jabbed the skip button, feeling his heart start to race.

**Selena Gomez, Marshmello - Wolves. Skipped 1:42.**

It was a much slower song, sounding almost country. Theo struggled to focus on the road, the mellow strumming of the guitar plucking his strings.

 _You're as warm as a glass of brandy._ Was this... a love song? 

Skip.

**Chris Stapleton - Tennessee Whiskey. Skipped 1:36.**

This one was a bit harder. Liam called it punk rock, he was pretty sure. He frowned, but it didn't seem to be a love song. Maybe he had been reading into it too much?

He relaxed into his seat, not sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

Liam didn't feel that way about him. He definitely would have noticed. Probably. Maybe? Theo groaned, feeling uneasy now. He hadn't noticed Liam watching him, so who knew what else he might have missed. Anxiety clawed at his chest. Did he want Liam to like him?

And then, the words. _We attract what we're ready for. It's something I can't ignore._

It was like an explosion went off in his mind. Ready? _Ready?_ Had he just not been _ready_ and that's why he hadn't seen it? _  
_

Fuck. He needed to talk to Liam. Now.

He paused the song, pulled over and jumped out. "Pick up the phone," he growled, watching Liam's name flashing across his screen. "Please," he whispered. It rang out, going to voice message, and Theo cursed. The urge to throw his phone overwhelmed him, but instead he picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could, satisfied with the way it crashed and skittered across the road. There were no cars in sight, thankfully, no one to witness his temper tantrum.

Theo looked back towards Beacon Hills. Back to where Liam was probably sitting in his room, lying in bed and listening to music, phone on the blanket next to him. Oblivious, probably, to the profound effect he was having on Theo.

He hated him a little bit for that.

 _No you don't_ , a tiny voice whispered in his head. 

It had Liam's cocky smile, and he shoved it aside, getting back into his truck and taking a deep, shuddering breath. This was tearing him apart. Fuck.

 **State Champs - Losing Myself. Paused 1:13.**

He looked back down at his phone, at the stupid picture he had for Liam's contact. It was a selfie Liam had sent him a while ago. He looked grouchy, hair all over the place, unamused by being awake at the ass crack of dawn for whatever reason. It had made Theo laugh, so he'd saved it as his contact picture, smirking every time he say Liam's name flash up on the screen. He smiled despite himself, chucking his phone to the side and then hovered his finger over the skip button.

Theo was afraid. Afraid of what would come next. He had a feeling it would be the answer to his question. Liam wasn't one to keep him hanging for long.

Summoning up every vestige of his bravery, Theo pressed play. _You make me nervous just by being here._

"Shit," he muttered. "Oh Raeken, you blind fucking idiot."

 _Suddenly you're standing there in front of me, I'm crushing hard._ _  
_

_What if we dive into a love affair right into each other's arms._

"Fuck," Theo hissed. Was it too late to turn his truck around and drive all the way home?

No, he was nearly there. And Scott would only make him come back. He needed to get this errand done so that he could get home as soon as possible.

He let the song play out as he turned the truck back on and pulled back onto the road. It was a pretty typical Liam song, all nerves and tripping feet and stumbling over words. Theo felt like an idiot for never noticing that Liam only acted that way around him.

**Urthboy - Crushing Hard.**

The next song made him smirk. His puppy was getting impatient. And oh boy did it send a thrill through him, thinking of Liam as _his._

 _Baby I done enough talking, need to know that you're mine. Baby we done enough talking, gotta be right now, right now._

"Soon," he promised, pressing skip.  
****

**Now or Never - Halsey. Skipped 0:46.**

The sound of a piano made Theo raise an eyebrow. Liam preferred much louder music normally, or things with guitar at the very least. Liam was really diversifying the songs on this CD for his message.

It was sort of endearing.

The first line made him sigh. _You've got a hold on me, don't even know your power._ As if Liam didn't have Theo wrapped around his little finger. He'd been trailing after Liam like a lost puppy for almost a year now. If anyone had the power, it was definitely him.

_Please have mercy on me, take it easy on my heart.  
_

_Even though you don't mean to hurt me, you keep tearing me apart._

The _anguish_ in those lines. The desperation. It echoed exactly what Theo had been feeling. It terrified him that Liam felt the same way as he did.

They'd been hurting each other for who knew how long. It shouldn't have surprised him.

**Shawn Mendes - Mercy.**

The song changed, and Theo felt warmth grow in his chest. _Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through hell with you. Love, you're not alone, 'cause I'm gonna stand by you._ Tears welled in his eyes. He blinked them away, chuckling at himself, feeling silly. He'd never really recovered from hell. The fact that Liam would go through that with him, would walk by his side. God, it meant _everything_. Liam was everything.

**Rachel Platten - Stand By You.**

He was moving through the songs quickly, wanting to reach the finale.

The next song was a bit heartbreaking. _We're not promised tomorrow. So I'm gonna love you, like I'm gonna lose you._ _  
_

It was a realistic fear. They were werewolves. Theo had lost count of the amount of times he'd nearly lost Liam, or when he himself had been on the verge of death. The fact that it scared Liam as well was reassuring. He wasn't living in a fantasy world. He was acknowledging the risk.

But he was also quite clear that he wasn't gonna waste a second of the time they had. It was touching.

Theo smiled, the tears that had been threatening for three songs now starting to spill down his cheeks.

He wiped at his eyes with his sleeve, peering at the road. He shook his head, a rueful smile on his lips. It would be just his luck to get this far and crash. He was only a few minutes away from the agreed meeting place, but he needed to compose himself.

Theo was thankful that he'd had the window wound down, it had been blowing away the dizzying rollercoaster of emotions he'd gone through.

He pressed stop and grabbed his phone, pulling up his messages from Scott and double checking the address. Time to get this over with so that he could focus on getting home.

 **Meghan Trainor, John Legend - Like I'm Gonna Lose You.**

Pulling over in front of the large building, Theo took a few deep breaths, letting his usual cocky mask slip into place, shoving his emotions down and locking them away. It wouldn't do to appear weak right now.

He swaggered up to the man hovering at the door, handing him the card Scott had given him. "I'm here on behalf of the McCall pack."

"You're late," the man responded, scowling.

Theo shrugged, appearing unconcerned.

The man knocked on the door and let him in. Theo appraised him as he walked past, being subtle as he took in his chemo-signals. Impatience, yes, but no anticipation. Good, this wouldn't go sour then.

The door opened, and Theo followed a second man through a long hallway, reaching a room with a locked door. The man unlocked it and ushered him inside. He heard the click of the lock as it shut behind him.

"Please, Mr Raeken, have a seat," someone said politely.

Theo studied her, taking in the long wavy red hair, warm brown eyes and distant smile. He sensed no threat from her, so did as she asked, taking a seat across from her.

He took the envelope out of the inside of his jacket, placing it on the table and pushing it towards her. She looked at it for a moment, and then him, suspicious, but slowly picked it up, sniffing it before carefully opening it. When nothing exploded or came flying out, she opened it the rest of the way, unfolded the letter and began to read.

Scott had told him to wait for her to finish the letter before he could leave, so he tapped his fingers on his leg, waiting impatiently. Normally, he would be able to sit still without moving so much as a muscle, but he wanted to get back to Liam.

Eventually, she put the letter down, frowning at him.

"You have a very strange alpha," she said.

Theo didn't reply, just looking at her impassively.

"Tell him I said yes," she said, dismissing him with a wave. Theo nodded, and reached the door almost before the man on the other side could open it. He strode down the hallway, opened the door and winked at the guard as he brushed past him, and crossed the road to his truck. A deep inhale told him that no one had touched it, so he climbed back in, started the engine and roared down the street.

He pulled over at the first diner he came to, filling up his truck with petrol and grabbing a burger. Parking his car in the lot, he finished his burger quickly and then pressed play, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. Theo had a feeling that the next few songs would destroy him. He wouldn't be able to drive until he'd heard them.

Pressing play, Theo leaned his head back against the headrest, closing his eyes and letting the words wash over him.

 _Spent my whole damn life trying to get things right, and for every one of my mistakes, you gave me all these chances._ He sighed. Like he'd ever give up on Liam. _And he wouldn't give up on you either,_ that tiny voice pointed out. Theo shushed it gently.

He skipped the song, moving on to the next one impatiently.  
****

**All Time Low - The Edge of Tonight. Skipped 1:53.**

_There's someone I've been missing. I think that they could be the better half of me._ "Idiot," Theo whispered. "You're the better one by far." 

The song begged him to come home and Theo shuddered, feeling the tears welling again. Liam was home for him. He was _it_ for him. He'd never dared to dream that he was the same for the other boy.

Skip.

Two songs left.

**One Republic, Sara Bareilles - Come Home. Skipped: 1:09.**

His phone buzzed and he pressed stop before checking it. He didn't want to miss anything.

Theo smiled, seeing Liam's name.

12:13pm _Hey. U haven't checked in for awhile. All gd?_

12:13pm _Stopped for food and petrol. Will be back on the road soon._

Ambiguous, but he didn't want to do this over text. He needed to see him.

12:13pm _Where r u?_

12:14pm _Dunno. It's called The Roadhouse I think. Didn't pay much attention._

He waited for a few minutes but there was no reply, so Theo threw the phone back onto the chair. He stabbed the play button and leaned back into the seat, holding his breath.

The next song was a lot more upbeat, a pop song that Theo had heard a lot on the radio recently. He raised his eyebrow at the first few lines, taking on a whole new meaning now. _Baby, don’t make me_ _spell it out for you, all of the feelings that I've got for you, can't be explained, but I can try for you._

"What feelings?" Theo asked, lower lip trembling. One more song.  
****

**Janelle Monae - Make Me Feel. Skipped 0:23.**

The strumming of a ukulele made Theo's eyes widen. _No... it couldn't be._

Suddenly, it was like he was hearing double, and he paused the song, looking up to see Liam standing a few metres away, playing the same instrument that he'd just been listening to.

Slowly, Theo got out of the truck, eyes boring into Liam's as he started to sing.

He trembled, tears streaming down his cheeks. Liam looked just as desperate as he did and Theo looked down at his hands, clenched into shaking fists, letting him finish the song.

 _Wise men say only fools rush in._ _  
_

_But I can't help falling in love with you._ _  
_

_Shall I stay?_ _  
_

_Would it be a sin?_ _  
_

_If I can't help falling in love with you?_ _  
_

_Like a river flows surely to the sea._ _  
_

_Darling so it goes._ _  
_

_Some things are meant to be._ _  
_

_Take my hand, take my whole life too._ _  
_

_For I can't help falling in love with you._ _  
_

_Like a river flows surely to the sea._ _  
_

_Darling so it goes._ _  
_

_Some things are meant to be._ _  
_

_Take my hand, take my whole life too._ _  
_

_For I can't help falling in love with you._ _  
_

_For I can't help falling in love with you._ _  
_

Theo sobbed, and Liam rushed towards him, catching him before he could fall to his knees, the ukulele clattering to the ground instead, clutching him tight to his chest. He grabbed Liam's jacket, holding on for dear life, clinging to him as tightly as Liam was holding him.

**Twenty One Pilots (cover) - I Can't Help Falling in Love With You.**

"Did you really follow me all the way here?" Theo asked, wiping his eyes as he stepped back, sniffling.

"I was too nervous to stay home," Liam said, discretely wiping at his own eyes. "I had to be near you."

"I'm glad," Theo said, looking up at him, his chest tight with unspoken emotion. "I don't think I could have driven after listening to that."

"I listened to it as well," Liam said, wringing his hands together nervously. "Every time you stopped I nearly had a heart attack, thinking I'd gone too far."

"No," Theo said, stepping closer. "No, you were right. It was just... hard to hear."

"Did it help?" Liam whispered, eyes searching his face.

Theo nodded, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "Yes," he breathed.

"You skipped so much," Liam said, scowling suddenly, hitting his arm. Theo gave a watery chuckle, shaking his head.

"I listened to the important bits," he said.

"Yeah?" Liam asked, shy now, avoiding his gaze with a light blush on his cheeks.

Theo closed the last bit of distance between them, tilting Liam's chin up and gazing into his impossibly blue eyes. He searched for the right words, but that had never been their forte. Wasn't that why Liam had spoken to him through song in the first place?

No, they spoke through actions.

He leaned down, eyes fluttering closed as his other hand wrapped around Liam's waist, holding him close, and kissed him. It was soft for maybe a second, but then Liam was wrapping his arms around him and returning his kiss enthusiastically, their mouths gripping as they spoke in the only way they knew how. _I love you_ , their lips said with every brush, _I need you,_ their wandering hands said, _I want you,_ their racing hearts said, beating in tandem now.

Reluctantly, Theo pulled away, resting his forehead on Liam's as he panted for breath. He inhaled Liam's scent, dizzy with the chemical rush of love and need that he exuded. It was making him feel drunk and lightheaded, and he chuckled. All he wanted to do was drown himself in it.

"What?" Liam asked, smiling at him, reaching  a hand up to brush Theo's hair away from his face.

"Nothing," he said, preening under the affection, allowing himself to enjoy it. "I'm just happy," he whispered.

"Me too," Liam agreed, smiling at him softly.

They stared into each other's eyes, both grinning like idiots.

"We should head back home," Liam said eventually, reaching down to pick up his abandoned ukulele and checking it over for damage. Satisfied, he tucked it under his arm. Theo watched him, pouting.

He didn't want to separate from Liam for the amount of time it would take them to drive home.

"If we have to," he sighed.

Liam looked surprised, but then examined his face, seeing the reluctance and smiling.

"You'll have to give me a lift though. Mason abandoned me," he smirked.

Hope flared in his chest. "Rude of him," he said, lips tugging up at the corners.

"So rude," Liam agreed, winking at him.

They climbed into Theo's truck, and he started it up, grabbing Liam's hand and intertwining their fingers after he had pulled out onto the road. He could drive with one hand.

After a few miles, Liam pulled out another CD.

"I swear to god, if that's full of sappy love songs, I'm gonna snap it in half," Theo warned.

"It's not," Liam promised, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Theo glanced at him suspiciously.

It was sweet to start off with, but the chorus made his eyes bug out.

 _Just say you feel the way that I feel. I'm feeling sexual, so we should be sexual._

"Liam," he growled.

The other boy laughed, delighted.

It was going to be a long trip home.

**Neiked - Sexual.**


End file.
